From Singapore, aspidistrafly is a duo consisting of composer and vocalist … Read Full Bio ↴From Singapore, aspidistrafly is a duo consisting of composer and vocalist April Lee (b.1984) and producer Ricks Ang (b.1980). "aspidistrafly" is a wordplay of the George Orwell novel "Keep the aspidistra flying". The duo play music which can be classified as ambient folk with guitar-based drone, subtle electronics and various sound assemblages.

After the release of "The Ghost of Things" EP, aspidistrafly released their first full-length album "i hold a wish for you" (Kitchen. Label) in 2008. The album was launched and supported by Apple Inc. in Singapore. In addition, aspidistrafly completed a release tour around Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand & Malaysia which culminated in a headline show at SuperDeluxe (Tokyo). aspidistrafly has also contributed materials for media art performances, most notably in "Drift Net" curated by international theatre company TheatreWorks, collaborating with Daito Manabe and Takayuki Fujimoto (dumbtype). In 2010, aspidistrafly's music was documented in two anthology compilations of experimental and independent music in Singapore.

Up to this time, aspidistrafly remains active in Japan. April has provided vocals and collaborated with haruka nakamura, Akira Kosemura and kadan. Also an accomplished artist, April does all artworks and films for aspidistrafly and is the art director of Kitchen. Label. As the producer of Kitchen. Label, Ricks is involved in the production of all its releases. He has improvised with Chihei Hatakeyama, Tomoyoshi Date, Yuen Cheewai (FEN) amongst others.

aspidistrafly is now recording their 2nd album to be released in 2011 and further international tour dates are to be announced.

homeward waltz
Aspidistrafly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the far-off
Blueness of the falling night
A fox, a squirrel,
Bouncing out of sight
In the far-off
Vastness of the pallid sky
Silently, the sun took a bow
And winked goodbye

So where do you go when the day is closed
Only the forest knows
So where do you go when the day is closed
Only the forest knows

Streaks of twilight
Painted by a broom in flight
A witch and her kitty cat
In the blink of an eye
Holding onto
The last grains of scattered light
Tracing breadcrumbs counting tree stumps
Waltzing home on time

So where do you go when the day is closed
Only the forest knows
So where do you go when the day is closed
Only the forest knows

Holding onto
The last grains of scattered light

Tracing breadcrumbs counting tree stumps
Waltzing home on time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Homeward Waltz" by Aspidistrafly are rich in imagery and contain a deep sense of mystery and wonder. The song starts off with a scene that sets the mood of the piece with a fox and a squirrel darting out of sight in the far-off blueness of the falling night. The next line, "In the far-off vastness of the pallid sky, silently, the sun took a bow and winked goodbye" tells us that the day just came to an end, and with the sun disappearing below the horizon, the darkness begins to veil over the world. The chorus, "So where do you go when the day is closed, only the forest knows," is profound in its simplicity and leaves a lot to the listener's interpretation. It could be akin to finding solace in nature after a long day or simply a venture into the unknown.

The second verse is no less evocative. "Streaks of twilight painted by a broom in flight, a witch and her kitty cat in the blink of an eye" paints an image of a witch in the sky painting the remaining light with a broom, and her kitty cat dancing by her side. The forest is the only constant, guiding through the waning light of the day, with the lyrics "Holding onto the last grains of scattered light, tracing breadcrumbs counting tree stumps, waltzing home on time" revealing the journey back to the sanctuary of the forest.

Overall, "Homeward Waltz" feels like a metaphor for the journey of life, with the forest representing the unknown, the darkness being the metaphor for the unknown road ahead, and the forest guiding the journey along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

In the far-off Blueness of the falling night A fox, a squirrel, Bouncing out of sight
As the night falls, a fox and a squirrel playfully run around disappearing from view in the distance.

In the far-off Vastness of the pallid sky Silently, the sun took a bow And winked goodbye
The sun sets quietly in the vast, pale sky taking a final bow and saying farewell.

So where do you go when the day is closed Only the forest knows So where do you go when the day is closed Only the forest knows
The forest is the only one who knows where to go when the day is over.

Streaks of twilight Painted by a broom in flight A witch and her kitty cat In the blink of an eye
The colors of the sky at twilight are painted by a flying broom ridden by a witch and her cat.

Holding onto The last grains of scattered light Tracing breadcrumbs counting tree stumps Waltzing home on time
Following a trail of breadcrumbs, the singer counts the tree stumps to make her way home before night falls.

So where do you go when the day is closed Only the forest knows So where do you go when the day is closed Only the forest knows
The singer is still questioning where to go at the end of the day, and the only answer is found in the forest.

Holding onto The last grains of scattered light Tracing breadcrumbs counting tree stumps Waltzing home on time
The singer continues to follow the trail of breadcrumbs and count the tree stumps as she waltzes her way home before nightfall.

Writer(s): Ricks Ang, April Lee

Contributed by Bella M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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